Herr Hans Kyser was a reputable German scriptwriter who worked with the most important German directors of his time such as F. W. Murnau, G. W. Pabst, Karl Grune and Arthur Robison. Herr Kyser had also a predilection for film adaptations of stories from literary or historical materials. Due to Herr Kyser's likes, his first and only film as a director was a kind of hagiography about the life of Herr Martin Luther, father of the Protestant Reformation.
Herr Luther was famous in those ancient times for being against long established institutions like the Catholic Church. He was a leader of an important religious reformation, putting in this way an end, among others matters, the misfortunes of poor people. Such is nonsense, certainly because as some Italian Count said sometime ago, the longhaired would like to change everything, changing nothing
anyway. Herr Luther knew very well his reforms and duties in those old times (for example, whipping himself when he was a monk, due the fact that he was a servant
of God, but a servant anyway). The film directed by Herr Kyser depicted in detail those impious German times as an important German film production with a sizeable budget.
The most important aspect of the film is the artistic direction, a powerful display of decors, customs and visual effects. Herr Kyser considered this necessary in order to depict Herr Luther and the German tribulations of those times and above putting more attention towards the actors' direction. In many cases they overacted or were as inexpressive as wax figures. Ultimately the film (and that's an incredible contradiction of terms) is a perfect film in atmosphere and technical aspects but monotonous and soul-destroying.
It seems that the Herr Luther's reforms affected the copy, which was a bizarre film restoration that this German Count saw of Herr Kyser's "Luther". It was perfect in technical aspects but longhaired in its display; the film has subtitles instead intertitles. Also an Amerikan voice-over during the whole film described the aspects of Luther's life, embellishing the images into was is not a silent film after all, certainly
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must do some reforms too in the Schloss North wing.
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